Brother My Brother
by Fnuggi
Summary: AU. My take on what would have happened if Korra and Mako hadn't figured out the trick with the map in 'The Revelation' in time. Mako/Bolin brotherly fluff and some Makorra too. Contains character death and angst.


Korra had never in her entire life felt so tired before. Her fatigue wasn't just because of the fight with the Equalists, it was also the shock of the power Amon had demonstrated to the people present at the gathering.

The power to take a benders ability to bend away for good.

Korra would, naturally, never admit it to anyone, but seeing this had terrified her.

While she was mulling over what had happened, she felt Naga's muscles move beneath her. In a way, the steady, constant motion of Naga helped her remain calm and composed, though she was far from feeling like that.

She could feel Bolin's breath against her back as he was currently leaning against her. Korra and Mako hadn't gotten to the gathering in time to same Mako from Amon's powers. They had been too late because they couldn't figure out where the meeting was being held, and when they did, it had been too late.

"We need to hurry up, his pulse is very weak" It was Mako who broke the silence. He had his right index and middle finger placed on his younger brother's neck to check his pulse.

Korra looked back over her shoulder and nodded her head in response. Then she turned her attention back to where they were going.

A while later, they arrived in the court yard of the air temple where Korra had been living for some time now.

"Wait here, I'll go get Tenzin and Pema" she said, and before Mako could say anything, the waterbender had jumped from Naga and had gone inside. He had his arm around the waist of his brother to keep him from falling to the ground. He didn't need to injure himself more. Amon had done plenty already.

Mako looked at the spot where she had disappeared inside the airtemple. The minutes seemed like hours, but finally, she returned and Tenzin and Pema were not far behind her.

"hold on Bolin, you're going to be alright" Mako whispered to his brother. Of course, he knew that Bolin wouldn't answer him, but Mako had needed to reasure himself that Bolin would be alright. Bolin had to be alright. If anything happened to him, all of Mako's family would be gone, and if that happened, Mako didn't know what he would do.

Ever since their parents had been killed by the firebender, the two of them had looked after each other. During those long years, they had been each other's family, having had no one but each other to rely on.

"What happened?" It was Tenzin who spoke. Korra and Mako looked at each other, silently trying to decide who should tell the airbender and his wife about what had happened. Finally, Korra spoke.

"We- we didn't get to him in time" Korra's voice was thick with emotion, and her eyes rimmed with tears. Usually, the young avatar didn't cry, no matter how dire the situation at hand was. No, she was the kind of person that would always face a challenge head on, no matter what.

This time, however, it was different. It probably had to do with the fact that no one close to her had ever been hurt this seriously before. Maybe it was because she now knew that the enemy she was supposed to fight, had the ability to take her bending away from her for good if she wasn't careful. Maybe it was something entirely different.

Korra could never imagine her life without bending. She was, after all, the avatar. Bending was a central part of her life, and she not only had to master water, her natural element, but also earth, fire and air. The first two had come so easily to her that she had expected air to be the same, but it hadn't been. She had struggled with mastering air from day one as it was the element most opposite to her personality.

Korra snapped back to reality when Tenzin silenced her with a hand gesture. "We can talk more later. for now, we need to get Bolin inside and treat his injuries" Korra nodded, and with Tenzin and Pema's help, her and Mako got Bolin inside where he was given a room to himself.

Pema treated Bolin's injuries to the best of her abilities, and Korra helped out too, using her waterbending to heal the physical injuries Bolin had suffered. Finally, after hours, Pema declared that there was nothing more that could be done for Bolin and that his fait was now in the hands of the spirits.

She tried to talk Korra and Mako into getting some sleep, and eventually, Korra left for her room. Mako, however, stubbornly refused to leave the room. He wanted to stay where he could keep an eye on his younger brother. He wasn't going to let him out of his sight for a minute after what had happened with the Equalists.

Pema placed a delicate hand on the firebender's shoulder, causing him to look up at her and said: "We're just down the hallway if you need anything" she smiled warmly, before she left the room, leaving Mako alone with Bolin.

Mako had no idea how long it had been when he finally fell into a restless sleep, his head resting on the mattress next to his brother's, but later that night he woke up to find Bolin tossing an turning in his sleep, small whimpers coming from him.

He was having a bad dream, it seemed.

"Bolin" Mako spoke, gently shaking his younger brother to wake him up. It didn't work. Bolin was still trapped in his nightmare.

"Bolin, wake up!" this time, mako's voice was more forceful and his voice more firm. Still, nothing. Mako could feel the panic rising in him. He had always been there to protect his little brother, no matter what it took, so seeing him like this and not being able to wake him up was a highly uncomfortable feeling for Mako.

Finally, Bolin opened his eyes and stared at his older brother.

"Mako" Bolin's eyes were wide with fear as he looked at his older brother.

"I'm right here buddy, I'm right here" Mako took Bolin's hand into his own as he spoke, trying to reassure his younger brother he was real and not just a part of his nightmare.

"I was so scared Mako" Bolin's voice was weak with exhaustion and it tore through Mako's heart to hear it. He could feel a lumb forming in his throat, but he refused to cry. He had to stay strong for his younger brother. He just had to.

When their parents had been killed, it was Mako that kept them together. Bolin had still been too young to really understand what had happened at the time, so Mako had had to be the strong one.

It was the same now.

"Don't worry buddy, you're safe. You're on Air Temple Island, and me and Korra are right here with you" Mako said, giving Bolin's hand a comforting squeeze. Bolin visibly relaxed and slumped back into his pillow.

Mako offered his brother a smile as he kept holding on to his hand, but the smile turned into a frown when Bolin groaned in pain.

"It hurts" he muttered weakly. "All over" he then added. Mako could feel the anger boiling just beneath the surface in him. He hated Amon for what he had done to his beloved brother, he hated him for his idea of a world without bending. Mako hated him for causing so many innocent people so much pain.

"I swear Bolin, if I ever get my hands on Amon, I'll make him pay for what he did to you - that's a promise!" Mako spoke hotly, although still quietly. Bolin merely smiled. This was so like Mako, and he wouldn't have it any other way.

The two bending brother's stayed like this for a long time. neither of them speaking a word to the other. It seemed, that none of them knew what to say. Mako had never been very good with words and had always let his actions speak for him and Bolin was too weak to say anything.

However, when he did speak, the words send chills down Mako's spine.

"Mako, I'm not sure how much longer I'll last. Promise me you'll take good care of Korra, okay?" Green eyes met golden as he spoke. Mako could not believe what he was hearing.

"No Bolin, don't speak like that. You're going to be alright. You have to be alright" His grip on Bolin's hand tightened and he could feel tears well up in his eyes. However, he quickly wiped the tears away before they could fall. He didn't want his younger brother to see him crying. He didn't want his younger brother to see him this weak.

It was strange, really. When their parents had been killed right in front front of them, he hadn't cried. He had wanted to, but he had never allowed himself to do it. He was the oldest. he had to stay strong for Bolin's sake. Bolin had been heartbroken when their parents had been murdered, so Mako couldn't let him see him cry.

"It hurts too much Mako. I don't want to stay. I want the pain to end" Bolin said, his voice growing weaker and weaker with every word.

"Bolin, don't do this. You'll make it. You have to!" Mako's voice broke at the last three words and turned quiet and pleading.

"I'm sorry bro. I love you, I always will" And with that, Bolin exhaled one last breath and closed his eyes.

"No, Bolin. Bolin! BOLIN!" Mako called out his brother's name over and over again, but he didn't get a response. he wasn't aware that his shouting had woken up the other inhabitants of the temple until he felt a comforting hand on his shoulders. He had half expected it to be Korra, but when he looked up, he was looking at Tenzin. The old airbender looked at him, his grey eyes clouded with sadness.

"Mako, he's gone" At the airbender's words, and shrugged Tenzin's hand off of his shoulder. Deep down, he knew the older airbender was right, but he didn't want to face it, because if he did, it meant letting go of Bolin and he didn't want to do that.

Without as much as a word to the older man, he turned to face the door, but came to a stop when he saw all three of Tenzin's children and Pema standing there. He didn't know what to say to them. Jinora looked at him with uncertainty clear in her brown eyes as did Ikki, her younger sister.

Mako offered them a slight smile, trying to make it look genuine, but he couldn't. Smiling at a time like this. It didn't seem right. He walked past them, and out into the courtyard. When he was alone, he finally let the tears stream down his face.

He didn't only cry for Bolin, the brother he had lost, he cried for his parents too. He cried for his mother and father, who he and Bolin had been forced to grow up without. He cried for the many years he and his brother had been forced to live on the streets, fighting for survival.

He cried for everything he had lost.

It was only when he felt a pair of arms wrap around him, that his tears stopped, and without knowing it, he tensed up. Before he could turn around to see who it was, he heard a soft voice whisper in his ear.

"I'm so sorry. I'm so, so, so sorry" He instantly recognized the voice as Korra's, and it caused him to relax again.

"Don't be. It wasn't your fault" he said quietly, looking into her blue eyes. They had both been trying to figure out the trick with the map, and they had both failed.

Without saying a word, Korra wrapped her arms around the firebender and hugged him. After a while, she let go of him and looked him in the eyes as she spoke.

"I may not be able to take the pain away, but I can help you carry it's burden" Korra said, looking Mako in the eyes. Mako didn't know what to say and merely smiled a little in response, pulling Korra in for another hug, which she did nothing to resist.

Unknown to the two young benders, they weren't as alone in the courtyard as they thought they were. Three spirits was standing a little away from them, all with smiles on their faces. One was Bolin, who was happy to know that his brother was not alone.

The other two figures were older than Bolin. One was a woman with long, dark brown hair that was the same shade as Mako's and she had the same golden eyes too. The other was a man with jet black hair and green eyes just like Bolin.

Bolin looked at his parents with tears in his eyes. Yes, he was sad that he had left Mako, but he was also happy to be with his parents again. Without speaking a word to one another, the three spirits turned around and left the courtyard, their ethereal figures fading into nothingness against the rising sun.


End file.
